James Valdez
James shows great loyalty to Camila Vargas and has saved Teresa's life several times. Appearance James has dark hair and a light beard. He has tattoos on his left arm, extending from his neck to his bicep. He has some skulls and what appears to be a heart with a butterfly on it tattooed on his arm, among others. He is often seen wearing his leather jacket and dark sunglasses while smoking. Biography He's an ex-military sergeant. When there was a hit out on Camila, James saved her life wordlessly. This loyalty earned her trust. James isn't religious1x02. When he was a child, he wanted to ditch school so he drank half of a bottle of soap. He never did that again, due to the vomiting it causes1x02. Skills As he's ex-military, he is trained in combat first-aid (2x03) as well as in using weaponry. He speaks English and Spanish fluently. Camila thinks that James is good at getting people to trust him1x03. High pain tolerance. In 2x08, he is tortured by a cop with loose morals and doesn't cry out. Personality James shows that he cares for Teresa by warning her to not ingratiate herself with Camila. He puts on a silent, tough front but he isn't as unaffected as he looks. He doesn't enjoy the cartel life, but the only way to get out is to move up. James is very loyal. His loyalty to Camila is unwavering for years, but he lies to Camila to protect Teresa. Throughout the series, James shows more and more loyalty to Teresa. He becomes much more friendly when interacting with clients such as Bill from the Savings Club and John from Florida, because he knows that they need these small comforts. Other clients such as Lopez are treated with respect because that is what they expect from him. Relationships James serves as Camila's right hand. He is jealous of Teresa when Camila asks Teresa to take over for her while she is in prison2x10. After James rescues Isabela, he asks Camila for a cut of the money they received from Devon. They part on good terms. Teresa Mendoza is often paired with James for missions and they have developed a partnership. The show seems to be framing them as love interests, with Teresa having a dreamscape wherein she kisses him2x06. James has a 'kept woman' relationship with Kim Brown, and he spoils her1x05. He says passively that sometimes he'd like to kill one person who lives in the building they're standing in front of, meaning Kim. He also checks her phone when it receives a message, and asks her who she's going out with that night. Kim asks him if he's worried about the oil man and reassures him that there's nothing to worry about, suggesting that they have had relationship issues in the past. After killing the Birdman, James calls Kim to tell her that he loves her very much and that some people are going to try to hurt him, and that the only way they can do that is by hurting her1x11. History with Teresa On Teresa's first job as a mule, he tries to get her to throw up the cocaine in her stomach before it kills her, telling her that her predecessor wasn't the first to die that way and he won't have it happen again, but she insists on completing the job. Camila ordered James to get Teresa to trust him because she wants to know more about her. Notes & Trivia * 1x02: James is the one that hired the chemist whose balloons/bags kept exploding, causing the death of Aveline. Aveline's death and the subsequent need for a new mule created an opportunity for Teresa to volunteer as a mule, rather than be prostituted by Camila's cartel. He feels guilty for this, and tries to force Teresa to throw up the cocaine when he thinks that they're out of time. * James is shot in the right shoulder in 1x07 while trying to retrieve the stolen $2.5 million. JamesValdez.gif Tumblr orzip54uGc1s01gf9o2 250.gif JamesValdez.jpg james.jpg | |[[Category:Characters]]||}} Category:Texas cartel Category:Vargas Cartel